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SET the best?

Is SET amplification where we should all end up? I keep reading posts where people tell of their journeys from plenty power to micro power, and how amazing SET amplification is 45 set 211 set 845 set otl, and usually, ....with the right speaker. I have yet to read of anyone who has gone the other direction from SET, to High watt beast class A amps or others.
If your speakers can be driven by minimal wattage, is this the most realistic, natural sound we can achieve? versus say, 86db sensitive speakers and a 1000w amp?
Is the end result solely based on speaker pairing? circuit? tubes?

I am in the process of changing my direction in my search for realistic sound, just because, and wondering if this really is the best direction to be going.
From what I have been reading I think it may be.

What do we get with SET? What do we give up?

What's you favorite color?
hanaleimike
vandermeulen
191 posts
 
Its a personal taste. What a good SET can do is present a wonderful listening experience from a low power perspective. In no way, shape, or form can it be better or worse than other configurations. You don't need to break the bank to find this out either.
riley804
628 posts
 
Tubes are not for everybody, but the same thing can be said about ss amps also.

You can sit here all day long and read opinions of which SET amp/speaker sounds the best, but until you try it in your system, you will never know.

Something to think about in that if you decide to go the tube route , you are somewhat limited to speaker choices, which can be a good / bad thing....all depends on how you look at it.

Before you decide to sell of what you have now, buy a tube amp and some efficient speakers and try that setup and see how you like it...if you do and want "more" , then you can take the next step...and if not sell that for little to no loss out of pocket.
dilly
111 posts
 
Have gone from 350 watts to 2 watts. Considering 500 watt mono's but for my HT.

Speaker paring is critical if you want to maintain dynamics etc. I feel horn speakers are better suited for SET. System matching is also important & easy to get it wrong having all the right componenets.

What you would mostly give up is the lower end. Can be remedied easily with a fast subwoofer like REL. what you get back is ++ mids, musicality.

My system prior to going SET (which I still own in HT mode) did bass extremly well. 18Hz - 20Khz transmisson lines. Somehow I don't miss this.

All tubes you mention including the 2A3 has a different flavour.I guess finally it come down to personal choice. Current flavour 2A3 & going for 45. Try it. If this is not your sound you can always go back.

For me it's SET without a doubt!
philjolet's avatar
philjolet
2,262 posts
 
I like SET but you will never resolve this with a post here on Agon because too many disagree. You can not get people to agree on SS or tube as the best let alone SET tubes which can have limited bass control (compared to SS especially) and only drive a handful of speakers.
calloway
816 posts
 
...i have a goldmund 29m amp..solid state which is superb...saying that...if you have had the opportunity to hear what a truely great SET sounds like, in my opinion , there is a naturalness to the sound that is addicting. the downside of most SETs is that they don't perform well with real world speakers with difficult loads or ones that are insensitive which limits the choices for those who like SETs.for a price..there are a handfull, or less, that can drive alot of the speakers that here-to-for could only be driven by solid state amps.the chalice audio ' grail' amps are in that 'handfull' catagory and are the best amps i have ever heard...but are also very expensive...but thats relative.!
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